darkwingduckfandomcom-20200223-history
Beauty and the Beet
Plot Reginald Bushroot, plant scientist, only wants to make the world a better place to live, but his colleagues mock his passion for plants. When he subjects himself to his own experiments, he becomes a half-plant, half-duck, the "Doctor Dolittle of the Plant World", and it's time to get even with his tormentors. Summary Digging deep into the secret Darkwing Duck files, Darkwing Duck recalls the incredible story, about a villainous vegetable named Bushroot. The story starts off at the St. Canard University, Scientific Research Lab 356. We are introduced to Dr. Reginald Bushroot, a man with the passion for plants; Dr. Rhoda Dendron a fellow scientist; and Dr. Gary and Dr. Larson bully colleagues to Dr. Bushroot who work in food modification. Dr. Gary and Dr. Larson mock Dr. Bushroot for playing with plants. Dr. Bushroot explains if his research is successful one day people would get there nutrition just like plants, by sunlight (photosynthesis). The pinheads taunt Bushroot "there's no money in nutrition, people only care for quantity not quality" because "bigger food equals bigger profit"and bigger profits mean, MONEY! MONEY! MONEY!", their research dealing in growing extremely big vegetables. As money is exclaimed, Dean Tightbill walks in to fire Bushroot because he was told to cut back in expenses, and takes a dim view of Bushroot's research. "Quite Franky, when I think of cutting back, I think of plants!" Dr. Dendron tries to cheer up Bushroot but it's of no use because Dr. Gary and Dr. Larson continue to mock him. Bushroot leaves the school in disgrace. Darkwing Duck gets his cape unstuck after he closed the drawer at the beginning of the episode when he didn't realized it before. Then Darkwing realized he’s reading Launchpad’s laundry list and then Darkwing resumes his narration after moving to a couch in the tower, "It was a dark and stormy night when suddenly the case takes a left turn and headed straight to demented-ville". We then see Dr. Bushroot in a green house which will serve as his hideout through the rest of the series, strapping him self to a medical bed. Bushroot explains that once his theory is proven to work, the Dean will have to fund his project again. At first the experiment seems like a failure and he laments the destruction of a flower used in it. But as he walks out into the dawn, he feels rejuvenated. His experiment has worked! He runs towards the school to tell his colleges about his successful experiment. As he does so he notices he is starting to turn green, but considers that merely being green isn't so bad compared to the benefits of photosynthesis. In the school's laboratory Dr. Gary and Dr. Larson mock Bushroot with cries of "Reggie's a Veggy!" at which time Bushroot finally realizes he's turned himself into a mutant half-plant-half-duck. Doctor Dendron is too stunned by Bushroot's transformation to dissuade the pinhead doctors' taunts. Bushroot runs away to the park. At the park he realizes that another side effect is that he can control and communicate with plants and he can use that towards his advantage. Cut back to the Lab, Dr. Gary and Dr. Larson are consumed by creeping vines, at which point Darkwing Duck becomes involved in the case. Launchpad considers the new doctor-shaped topiaries, wondering if they will need much watering (and inferring that Larson and Gary are dead, consumed by the vines) He also examines the doctors' last experiment, an artificially enhanced cheeseburger which he deems is good, but needs ketchup. Meanwhile Darkwing speaks with Dr Rhoda Dendron, declaring in spite of her protests that this is a classic case of revenge. The next day Bushroot goes after Dean Tightbill by sending trees in to crush the building and the dean, but this time Darkwing Duck and Launchpad are there to help, having reinforced the office against Bushroot's return. Lamenting his choice to be a vegetarian has brought this plant menace upon him, Dean Tightbill quickly gets away from the confrontation while Darkwing Duck fights Bushroot and his trees. As Bushroot gets away Darkwing and Lauchpad try to follow when they get tangled in vines. A tree attacks them but Darkwing quickly uses his buzz-saw cuff links. Even after given chase Bushroot seems to get away, tunneling through the earth to escape behind a wall of hedges he has grown to help him. Darkwing goes back to the lab to find Rhoda. Rhoda still refuses to believe that Bushroot could have turned evil. Rhoda explains that if she can talk to him she can prove he's not a criminal. As Bushroot eavesdrops on them, he got the idea that Rhoda was in love with him, merely because she used his first name. Then Darkwing shows how he decided to exercise his world-nowned deductive abilities. He explained that he checked the minutest details, carefully weighed all the possibilities and painstakingly examined each clue with staggering scientific scrutiny.At this point Darwing Duck narrating explains that "little did he realize that the Bushroot scenario was heating up", and he blows out the torch and narrates "The only thing more dangerous than a deranged half plant half duck, is a deranged half plant half duck in love." We then see Bushroot interacting with the plants in his greenhouse and putting a tux on for his "big date" with Rhoda. Bushroot goes to the lab and manages to kidnap Rhoda, even though Darwing Duck was protecting her. Bushroot leaves Spike, giant venus flytrap, to eat Darkwing Duck and Launchpad. Darkwing outsmarts Spike, playing to his dog-like traits by tossing a bone, and heads after Bushroot. We then see Bushroot at his green house strapping Rhoda to the same experimental medical bed, ready to turn her into a half-plant as his bride. Rhoda exclaims that she does not want to be turned into a plant. Bushroot misunderstood this, thinking that she's just nervous and tells her not to worry about it because she will love it and will get use to it. Rhoda also attempts to convince Reggie that she is a career girl and that even if she did love him, her career comes first and "Besides, you're a plant, I'm a duck; it'll never work out..." Bushroot exclaims excitedly that this is a problem he can fix, and she'll be the next cover girl for Lawn and Garden Quarterly. At this point Darkwing and Launchpad crash in through the skylight to save the day. Darkwing demands the release of Dr. Rhoda. After a series battles with Bushroot, Bushroot is run over with a lawn tractor and mulched, much to the disgust of Darkwing and Launchpad. Darkwing turns back to the medical table, only to see a daisy, and believes he has failed to save Rhoda from the experiment, begging her forgiveness. From the other side of the table, Rhoda asks who he is talking to, which he quickly covers by insisting he was just checking the plant for medflies. As Darkwing finishes telling the story to a now sleeping Launchpad, he gets up and hits Launchpad with the papers he was reading. Launchpad wakes up and concludes of the tale, "Right DW, well I guess that goes to show you, you might have to eat your vegetables, but you don't have to like them". A finally cutscene returns us to the greenhouse, revealing a new sprout in the labratory. Bushroot is growing back, and asks his plant companions for help in getting more water and fertilizer, declaring that he has finally found his "own little place in the sun!" Quotes Dr. Rhoda Dendron: Dr. Bushroot wouldn't hurt a fly! Well, there was that one time, but then we needed the wings for an experiment. Darkwing: (With a weed whacker) It dices, it slices, it...(Motor quits)...runs out of gas. Darkwing: It'll take more than squash to squelch this crime-fighter. (Darkwing is pelted with tomatoes and he informs the viewers) Oh, everybody's a critic. Dr. Rhoda Dendron: Oh, but I don't want to be a plant! Bushroot: Don't worry, you'll grow to love it. : "You'll never get away with this Dr Bushroot!" : "Oh, who's gonna stop me?" : "I am! The terror that flaps in the night! The termite that devours your floorboards! That is to say: Darkwing Duck! :— Bushroot and Darkwing Duck. Darkwing: Yes. Uh. I was soon to discover that the only thing more dangerous than a deranged half-plant half-duck is a deranged half-plant half-duck in love. Darkwing: Ok, Bushroot...Huh? He's gone! Launchpad: (Finds hole in ground) Uh, DW, looks like maybe he decided to get back to his roots. Darkwing: Very funny. Darkwing: Stop, you sizable sapling! (Darkwing grabs a tree, but it throws him into Launchpad) Launchpad: Whoa! Looks like his bark might be worse than his bite! Dr. Rhoda Dendron: You think Dr. Bushroot did it, don't you? Darkwing: In a word-yes. In two words-most certainly. In three words... Dr. Rhoda Dendron: Just a minute. How can you be so sure? Darkwing: Easy. I never make a mistake. (Moves checker on game board) Robot Playing Checkers: King me. Darkwing: (Narrating) It seemed the unsolvable crime. The police were puzzled, the feds were frustrated, and the Gardners' Association was stumped. That's when I, Darkwing Duck, the superslueth with a mind as sharp as hedgeclippers, entered the case. Darkwing Duck: (Getting back to his story of Bushroot) Let's see, where was I? Oh Yes, there were "six pairs of socks, some polka-dotted underwear and..." Hey, wait a minute! Launchpad McQuack: Sorry DW, that's my laundry list. Notes * The Title "Beauty and the Beet" reference the famous fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" as well as its themes. * Darkwing says the combination to the Darkwing Files Vault is 36R-42L, but when he looks on his foot, it says 15L-36R-62L. * Larson and Gary are homages. They are in tribute to Gary Larson's "The Far Side" and are designed to resemble the Pinheads, any of a number of unintelligent people with small pointy heads and thick glasses which appear frequently in The Farside. This is the first of many Farside callouts and tributes throught the show. * In maintaining the plant theme, Rhoda Dendron's name is a portmanteu of'' Rhododendron'', a popular genus of beautiful flowering plants. Milestones * This episode marks the first appearance of Bushroot, Rhoda Dendron, Gary, Larson, Tightbill, and Spike. Trivia * Bushroot’s origin name is Dr Reginald Reggie Bushroot * Bushroot’s origin is finally revealed in this episode Gallery Go Darkwing Hurry Up.png Yahoo.png Here Comes Darkwing Duck.png Darkwing Swinging Down On A Rope.png Darkwing Swinging Over To The Lawnmower.png Category:Season 1 Category:Episodes Category:Episodes available on DVD